Pasadena Fraud Hotline

The City of Pasadena is committed to conducting its affairs ethically and in compliance with the law. We take pride in our employees and the high quality services we provide to the community. We offer a 24/7 Fraud hotline, (626) 744-7448, and an online complaint form.

About the HOTLINE

The Fraud Hotline is designed for reporting suspected cases of fraud, waste or abuse by the City or its employees, officials, contractors or vendors. The Fraud Hotline is not a substitute for employment-related grievances or complaints by City employees, as existing City policy and procedures provide channels for resolution of these issues.

While face-to-face reporting is always the best form of communication, it is not always feasible. Current City procedures and /or department instructions state that all complaints should be sent through the chain of command. However, recognizing that employees are not always comfortable going through the chain of command, the Fraud Hotline provides another vehicle to report waste, fraud or abuse.

Confidentiality

Complainants can choose to remain anonymous. The City Controller will maintain the confidentiality of all complaints, including documents (to the extent permitted by law). Caller ID has been disabled for the phone Fraud Hotline. Complaints submitted online are routed directly to the City Controller.

Whistleblower Protection

The City will not retaliate, nor will it tolerate retaliation against those who, in good faith, report suspected fraud, waste and abuse or who participate in an investigation of suspected violations. An act of retaliation should be reported immediately to the City Controller for referral to the Human Resources Director, and /or applicable department who will investigate and report potential violations to appropriate authorities. In addition, those who bring matters to the Fraud Hotline may be protected through the State of California Whistleblower Protection Act or other State or federal laws.

Hotline Process

In order to process your complaint, the more information you provide the better, however, a minimum amount of information is needed to proceed with an investigation. Please try to obtain the following information before contacting the Hotline:

The nature of the fraud, waste, or abuse that involves a City of Pasadena employee(s), a contractor(s) or a vendor(s) doing business with the City of Pasadena.

The date, time and location where the alleged incident occurred.

Any witnesses that may have observed the alleged incident.

The names or identifying information of any alleged suspect(s) or vehicles involved (such as vehicle number or license plate plus physical description of subject).

Reporting Fraud, Waste or Abuse

Call the Fraud, Waste & Abuse HOTLINE at (626) 744-7448 or complete and submit online complaint form. The City Controller will investigate or refer to appropriate authorities all complaints received by the City related to fraud, waste and abuse. Complaints pertaining to City employees in the areas of employee relations, discrimination, harassment, safety, workers’ compensation fraud, and related personnel matters will be forwarded to the Human Resources Director for appropriate handling and investigation, which may include the Police Department and/or outside investigators, depending on the nature of the issue and whether criminal conduct is alleged.

Fraud Prevention, Reporting and Investigation Policy

The City is developing a Fraud Prevention, Reporting and Investigation policy which, when adopted, will consolidate existing Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for employees into a single Fraud Prevention, Reporting, and Investigation Policy.

What Constitutes Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

Any intentional act or omission designed to deceive others, resulting in the victim (City of Pasadena) suffering a loss and/or the perpetrator achieving a gain.

Falsifying financial records to conceal the theft of money or City property.

Theft or misuse of City money, equipment, supplies and/or other materials.

Soliciting or accepting a bribe or kickback.

Falsifying payroll information.

Waste

The intentional or unintentional, thoughtless or careless expenditure, consumption, mismanagement, use, or squandering of City resources.

Unnecessary spending of City funds to purchase supplies or equipment.

Unnecessary use of City resources, property or material.

Abuse

Intentional or unintentional destruction, diversion, manipulation, misapplication, maltreatment, or misuse of City resources. Extravagant or excessive use as to abuse one's position or authority. Abuse can occur in financial or non-financial settings.

Failure to report damage to City equipment or property.

Receiving favor for awarding contacts to certain vendors.

Creating unneeded overtime.

Travel choices that are contrary to existing travel policies or are unnecessarily extravagant or expensive.

Making procurement or vendor selections that are contrary to existing policies.